Antrim Hurling

[youngfella]

terrible conditions for both teams I'd say but no excuse to lose oops sorry draw against Westmeath.

the college lads (if true) could have went on the lash tonight FFS not as if they were getting up for work in the morning. but sure a night on the tiles is far better craic than getting promotion and playing the likes of Galway and Kilkenny and the rest

Think your being bit harsh here MR, The dall lads has prob been training flat out since the ulster. The poly fellas were prob training since the start of uni and really building it up in recent months and the rest of the lads prob been hard at it since december time.

If they are not allowed a blow out now then when is allowed? A week before the dublin game?
I cant see any harm with them going mad once in a blue moon at this time of the year. So long as they dont forget about the training.

[Minder]

I thought the Dall players met with the Antrim management before Christmas and decided they would make themselves available for the first match against Westmeath ,even though they were preparing for an All Ireland Semi, because every game was a "must win" game. . . . . . . . .

[youngfella]

Alots happen between christmas and now. Maybe some of the players dont want to fall victim to burnout or peak to early. You cant be too hard on the lads and likewise you cant be to soft with them, I hope S&W can get teh balance right. Todays result isnt the end of the world.

[Two Hands FFS]

Antrim still should have been winning that match even without the Poly players. Shorty got hurt yesterday so that was maybe he wasnt fit to be playing, McManus wasnt named in the 24 to play. Unsure over Graffin or Neal McAuley.

The Cushendall players were going to play against Westmeath but in the weeks leading up to the match were told they were not allowed to play.

[milltown row]

terrible conditions for both teams I'd say but no excuse to lose oops sorry draw against Westmeath.

the college lads (if true) could have went on the lash tonight FFS not as if they were getting up for work in the morning. but sure a night on the tiles is far better craic than getting promotion and playing the likes of Galway and Kilkenny and the rest

Think your being bit harsh here MR, The dall lads has prob been training flat out since the ulster. The poly fellas were prob training since the start of uni and really building it up in recent months and the rest of the lads prob been hard at it since december time.

If they are not allowed a blow out now then when is allowed? A week before the dublin game?
I cant see any harm with them going mad once in a blue moon at this time of the year. So long as they dont forget about the training.

i'm not being harsh youngfella i understand about lads putting it in with clubs county's and colleges, but staying of the drink for one night is not going to infringe on their socialising

Dublin at the minute are playing better and i'd say we'd be lucky to stay within 5/6 points come the final whistle. when a player a county level signs up for the year then he should committ and put in the same effort as the manager. we were in a position before todays match to win the league, thats gone now

as for the TDK stop talking shite

[youngfella]

terrible conditions for both teams I'd say but no excuse to lose oops sorry draw against Westmeath.

the college lads (if true) could have went on the lash tonight FFS not as if they were getting up for work in the morning. but sure a night on the tiles is far better craic than getting promotion and playing the likes of Galway and Kilkenny and the rest

Think your being bit harsh here MR, The dall lads has prob been training flat out since the ulster. The poly fellas were prob training since the start of uni and really building it up in recent months and the rest of the lads prob been hard at it since december time.

If they are not allowed a blow out now then when is allowed? A week before the dublin game?
I cant see any harm with them going mad once in a blue moon at this time of the year. So long as they dont forget about the training.

i'm not being harsh youngfella i understand about lads putting it in with clubs county's and colleges, but staying of the drink for one night is not going to infringe on their socialising

Dublin at the minute are playing better and i'd say we'd be lucky to stay within 5/6 points come the final whistle. when a player a county level signs up for the year then he should committ and put in the same effort as the manager. we were in a position before todays match to win the league, thats gone now

as for the TDK stop talking shite

TDK should give a set of concreate boots slanging of someone like that. Feck that annoyed me no call for it!

Even if the poly lads had stayed off the drink they would have been fecked from the game the day before.
Id agree dublin are about that ahead of us atm, physically and techincally we are as good if not better than them, however are weak point has always be psychologically how we approach games, Almost as if were just there to make up numbers, If S&w can work on that were in with a chance. MY 2 cents worth, im off on the lash tonight. Aontroim ABU

[Minder]

Youngfella how can you say we are ahead of Dublin "technically and physically"? What are you baseing this on? Have you seen Dublin play lately?

[The Dark Knight]

Now MR U know that i am not talking S***, tell the lads on the site the truth, he did! Even the auld boy lost the plot with him!! Youngfella get a life and get real, slanging ask his team mates they will confirm it!! take off the tinted glasses boys, and MR you should set yourself up on this site as one wise old owls, have the stones and call it as it is..........

[slow corner back]

After the lord mayors show comes the dustcart, that was the case for Antrim today after a good display last week. There were a whole host of changes from last week and it showed. Team really struggled throughout with the full forward line never getting going. Antrim started with Karl Stewart in there, that didnt work so Eddie McCluskey had a go then Micko Herron then Shane McNaughten and finally Cormac Donnelly. None of them were any use. Shane McNaughten who on paper should have been our main scoring threat never touched leather all day and eventually got yellow carded leading to Donnelly coming on, he appeared to be limping as he ran on!!
In truth Westmeath should have been further ahead at half time having missed two good goal chances and putting a 21 yd free over the bar. Antrim never looked like scoring a goal.
PJ O Connell is not a bad player but he has to realise that not every chance has to be a goal. He won the ball well twice in the first half and instead of taking a simple point tried to lay the ball off to set up a goal for someone which came to nothing.
Sean Delargy after a stormer last week was very ordinary today and McGourty in the other corner looked decidedly iffy. Overall only McGarry at full back and Brendan Herron played well. Karl Stewart did OK at centre half forward and tried hard. I thought Antrim were summed up by a passage of play with about five minutes to go while leading by two points, the ball was won in the half back line by young woody ( I think ) there then ensued about six short passes going nowhere and ended with Micko Herron on the halfway line trying a handpass that went out for a sideline to Westmeath. At least 4 players had the chance to let the ball long into the full forward line but did not do so because a) they thought they might be hooked or b) they thought the full forward line was shite ( it was). Similarly for the last free the ball could have been cleared twice before the free was conceded. Short passing is getting us into trouble against Div 2 opposition lord help us when the pace is upped in the summer.

Overall westmeath deserved at least a point, hopefully everyone is available for the next game and we can rebuild some patterns of play.

[imtommygunn]

While far from being a great result to win this division we needed to beat offaly and nothing has changed in that regard.

I, unfortunately, would not say we are ahead of Dublin at all. If all goes well we can give Dublin a good rattle but Dublin would have to be string favourites to beat antrim. Dublin are on the verge of being no. 2 of the leinster teams and on league form are no. 2. They just need the championship to prove that.

[ONeill]

Antrim 0-15 – Westmeath 0-15
The senior hurling match in Casement Park today might, for some, be one to be written off rather than written about. Antrim as a team appeared dull and tired and were in fact depleted in number, understandably, given the cumulative effect of a period of intense work for key players and their experience of inordinate effort and out performance last week. Antrim hurlers had in effect to face a very demanding and unfair situation; we can only hope that they are not asked or expected to do this again for some time.
It should also be noted perhaps, that West Meath spotted Antrim weakness early; they smelt blood and essentially went all out for the kill. The half time score of ten points to eight was an indication of a less than mediocre Antrim performance. With the notable exception perhaps of Karl Stewart this was certainly not a good day out for Antrim forwards. By contrast eight times from nine attempts Karl Stewart made his mark, profiting handsomely from fouls to send frees over the bar with cool calm and collected precision. He also battled relentlessly, throughout the entire game and took more than a fair share of hard hits for his efforts. He is without doubt an outstanding example of skill, courage and determination.
Brendan Herron scored three points, his brother Michael two, with Karl Keegan and Colm Duffy one each. Antrim, as a team, clearly did not have the necessary hunger or the fight in them today nor did they have the firepower available, that they otherwise would have for the reasons explained at outset; they paid a price for this but it is an ill wind that does not do some good for someone, so West Meath can indeed be thankful. All things considered the Antrim team should have had, and would have well deserved that this match be deferred.
It is sometimes all too easy to avoid harsh reality and make excuse so as to opt out of taking responsibility. There was some evidence of repeating error today that is unlikely to escape the eagle eyes of managers and coaches alike. It is likely that when the stats are closely examined more than a few players will not want to believe what they are being told. This of course brings us back to 'writing off' rather than 'writing about' this match. 
When all is said and done Antrim backs, tiredness not withstanding, did their job today, as did Ryan Mc Garry in goals, on more than a few occasions. Had our backline been weaker today we could all too easily have been undone, from some of the ferocious attacks on our goal. Again it might well be said that along with a considerable effort by West Meath, to exploit identified weakness, there was some evidence of just little bit of bias and a friendly nudging of injury time, by Meath referee.

Lawrence Smyth County PRO

[Minder]

The Poly lads reckon they were available for selection today.

[Two Hands FFS]

To start with it I thought are attitude was wrong, the workrate wasnt good enough & looked like cos Westmeath got beat easily by Down last week it would be an easy two points. Our Forward line was shocking..really poor. I counted 11 players including subs who played up front at diifferant stages with only Karl Stewart any good. At least he worked hard as usual & his frees were generally good. It would take me too long to go through the other 10..some of them were poor. At midfield Brendan Herron scored 3 good points & we missed Shorty in there. We looked shaky at the back, & looked as if we'd leak a goal at various stages, & took Ryan McGarry to make a couple of good saves. Thought McGourty hurled right..he just needs to settle down at times. Neilly McGarry looked a bit suspect at the back again & would worry when we came up against better teams.

Overall, like last week I wouldnt get carried away, same applies to this week. It should show our playes that we arent good enough to play to at least than close to our full capacity. Offaly & especially Dublin will be our yardstick. If the attitude & application is there against Dublin I think we could run them close & give them a really good match. Dublin are definately ahead of us, they have been surving in Division 1 for at least 3 years & have rarely been hammered in that time unlike Antrim.

Fair play to Westmeath, they done well to get their point. They'd have come up to Belfast fired up after last weeks result v Down  & with Antrim being allowed in Leinster & them not.

[Two Hands FFS]

The Poly lads reckon they were available for selection today.

Well Young woody played today & he was with Jordanstown over the weekend.

[clootfromthe21]

The Poly lads reckon they were available for selection today.

Well Young woody played today & he was with Jordanstown over the weekend.

Almost 100% sure he didn't play in the Ryan Cup Final on Saturday though - certainly didn't start the game anway.